Turkey, Jordan, Iran Condemn Trump’s Jerusalem Declaration

Turkey, Jordan and Iran have condemned the announcement by United States President Donald Trump that Washington recognises Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

A picture shows the Dome of the Rock mosque and a general view of Jerusalem on December 1, 2017. THOMAS COEX / AFP

Turkey slammed Trump’s decision on Wednesday as irresponsible and illegal, while Jordan said it amounted to a violation of international law and the UN Charter.

“We condemn the irresponsible statement of the US administration… the decision is against international law and relevant UN resolutions,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu wrote on Twitter.

Ahead of Trump’s widely-flagged announcement Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had warned after a meeting with Jordanian King Abdullah II that the move would “play into the hands” of terror groups.

Erdogan has already called a summit meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul on December 13 to discuss the issue.

The Turkish foreign ministry added in a statement that the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians can only be solved through the creation of a Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital.

It warned that the decision by Trump will have “negative reflections on the peace and stability in the region” and risks “completely destroying the ground for peace”.

“We call on the US administration to reconsider this faulty decision which may result in highly negative outcomes,” it added.
Jordan condemned the declaration through the government spokesman Mohammed Momani.
“The decision of the American president to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and the transfer of the US embassy to this city constitutes a violation of decisions of international law and the United Nations charter,” said government spokesman Mohammed Momani,” it said.